IDNR teams up with SIU for strategic planning

SPARTA, Ill. -- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and SIU are joining forces to help move forward the World Shooting Complex and Pyramid State Park projects. The two parks, managed by the IDNR, are getting extra attention.

Wayne Rosenthal, IDNR Director, says the two facilities have a lot to offer.

"We've got a lot of area here. It's things like that that we need to continue to look at," he said, "What a better way to do that than to partner with SIU."

SIU will help assess the strengths of both and how to better utilize them.

Senator Paul Schimpf, (R- Waterloo), who's also involved, says boosting the potential of the two sites will help boost southern Illinois as well.

"If you're going to maximize your potential, you can't be in react mode," said Schimpf, "You have to be think about 'where do I want to be 10 years from now?'"

Both of the facilities, Pyramid State Park and the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, sit largely underutilized for most of the year. However, this plan looks to change that.

"This is something that anytime you have an event here, it's going to bring people to southern Illinois," Schimpf said, "That's why it's important to think about how we can maximize the potential of these facilities."

SIU Chancellor, Carlo Montemagno, said the potential is there to make something great, but it just needs tapping into.

"There are probably few places in the country that can compare to the abilities that we have here," Chancellor Montemagno said, "We need to the let the world know we have them, develop it and capitalize on this investment opportunity."

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Carbondale Police are investigating a deadly accident that happened in the 500 block of North Wall around 8 p.m. Monday evening. Witnesses and family members tell us a driver hit and killed a five-year-old boy. Police expect to release more information Tuesday.

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Carbondale Police are investigating a deadly accident that happened in the 500 block of North Wall around 8 p.m. Monday evening. Witnesses and family members tell us a driver hit and killed a five-year-old boy. Police expect to release more information Tuesday.

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